acne

[cryfye]

I would love to know products that are best for acne especially clean products and hyperpigmentation 

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[20dermagirlll22]

there is a brand at target that I've become obsessed with called la Roche posay really good acne line. as well as k beauty brands called neogen and innisfree, they help soothe acne and make it look less red and hyperpigmentation 

[skyjones1411]

I’ve always struggled with adult acne/breakouts. I discovered Dermal MD anti acne serum a couple of years ago & it’s really helped my skin since. I apply it around my affected area a couple of times a week & it dries up problems before they even start✅

[Animeteen]

Anything Florence by mills accept their berry in love face mask their clean,vegan and more also fenty beauty  face mask hope this helps

[WinglessOne]

@cryfye  What’s your current skincare routine (brands + product names)? I don’t want to recommend something without knowing what you already use. 

Also, answers may depend on what kind of acne you have. If you have cystic acne, the best “product” is a board certified dermatologist who can diagnose your skin condition and recommend in-office treatments. 

[cryfye]

so i have tried a lot of products but nothing seem to work but rn i am using yttp cleanser, the ordinary niacinamide, inkeylist watergel lotion and neutrogenna spf in the morning and night time i use the yttp cleanser, trnexamic night treatment, and inkeylist watergel lotion

[WinglessOne]

@cryfye  Looks like you don't have any acne-fighting ingredients in your current routine. If you have active acne you're trying to clear up, and it's not cystic acne, consider adding one or two of these to your routine: 

Azelaic acid - attacks acne-causing bacteria and treats hyperpigmentation. You can get prescription strength (15-20%) azelaic acid from a dermatologist or your primary care doctor. In the US, you can get over-the-counter strength (10%) products. 

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You can spot treat with azelaic acid, though I prefer to area treat (example: if you have a bit of acne on your forehead, apply the product to your entire forehead, not just on the acne). Or, just use it on your entire face; this is how I use it, as part of my overall goal to reduce hyperpigmentation. Azelaic acid plays nice with many other skincare ingredients, including things in the vitamin A (retinoic acid) family. 

If your skin's sensitive, azelaic acid can make you feel itchy during the first few weeks of use. That's a common side effect. It happened to me and it stopped when my skin adapted to this ingredient. You may want to patch test it for a few days before applying it to a large area of your face. 

Of the OTC products I've tried, my favorite is Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster 1 oz/ 30 mL which also contains 0.5% salicylic acid (BHA) and has a nice cream texture. I've also used The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream 1 oz/ 30 mL (silicone cream texture) and Facetheory Lumizela A10 Serum (liquid/milky emollient texture). 

Salicylic acid (BHA) - have you ever tried a leave-on BHA product, or maybe a BHA face wash? BHA's usually the OTC acne folks try first. It's famous for getting down into your pores and degunking them. As an exfoliant, it also removes some dead skin cells from the surface of your face. And you can use it with azelaic acid. 

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If your skin tolerates leave-on BHA, a cult favorite is Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 4 oz/ 118 mL . Paula's Choice makes other leave-on BHA products in various strengths, from 2% to 9%. For most folks, 2% is enough. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting BHA 9 Treatment 0.3 oz/ 9 mL is more of a spot/area treatment; I don't recommend putting that on your entire face, especially not daily. It's a great spot treatment, though. 

If BHA's too drying for your skin, consider swapping your PM cleanser a few nights a week with a BHA cleanser. Lather it onto your skin, let it sit for a couple minutes, and then rinse it off. This gives BHA long enough skin contact to do its job. A mild one is Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Acne Cleanser 6 oz/ 177 mL : it contains 0.5% BHA, if I recall correctly. Or try The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 5 oz / 150 ml which contains 2% BHA. Also consider CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser which you'll find at your local drug store. 

Benzoyl peroxide - another common go-to ingredient to treat acne. I'm pretty sure benzoyl peroxide plays nice with azelaic acid and BHA, but it generally doesn't like to be layered with retinol. I don't see a retinoid in your skincare routine so you don't need to worry about this unless you add a vitamin A product; in that case, just use benzoyl peroxide in the morning and the retinoid at night. 

Spoiler

Benzoyl peroxide can irritate skin, so you may want to try a wash instead of a leave-on product. Consider PanOxyl face wash or CeraVe Foaming Cream Cleanser; they both contain 4% benzoyl peroxide (PanOxyl also makes a higher strength version but you probably don't need that) and are likely available at your local drugstore. 

If your skin tolerates a leave-on, consider Paula's Choice CLEAR Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide 2.25 oz/ 67 mL . Oh, and benzoyl peroxide likes to stain fabrics (washcloths, pillowcases, etc.), something to remember when using a leave-on product. 

If you decide to use BHA and benzoyl peroxide, patch test this combo before trying it on your whole face. The 2 ingredients together can be too much for some people's skin to tolerate. You may end up using one in the morning and the other at night to avoid irritation. 

Vitamin A (retinoic acid and its derivatives) - this family includes Rx tretinoin, Rx and OTC adapalene, retinaldehyde, retinol, and granactive retinoid. Of those forms of vitamin A, the ones officially deemed acne treatments by the FDA are tretinoin and adapalene. 

Spoiler

There are other Rx retinoids that treat acne but I won't list 'em all here. Ask your primary care doctor or a board certified dermatologist about them. In fact, you may want to consult a doc about retinoids in general to learn pros and cons of each one, what you should and shouldn't use with them, and whether or not one's a good fit for you. 

Retinoids in general boost collagen production and boost the rate of skin cell growth. That's why so many folks use vitamin A to reduce hyperpigmentation and wrinkles. It can also speed up the acne cycle, pushing acne to the surface faster than usual; this is called "purging" and usually happens during the first month of use. Adapalene in particular is notorious for purging: you'll see acne you never even knew was lurking deep under your skin's surface. Think of it as vitamin A evicting that crud from your skin. Once the purging period's over, ongoing use of adapalene is a good way to control acne. 

Adapalene is available in Rx and OTC strengths. In the US, local drugstores carry adapalene sold as Differin Gel, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel, and generic/store-brand versions. As with any retinoid, you should introduce adapalene slowly to your skincare routine: use it just 1-2 times a week for a few weeks (usually at night; never twice on the same day), then increase usage to 2-3 times a week for a while, and keep gradually increasing use until you're at a comfy-for-you frequency. That can be nightly, every other night, 3 nights a week, etc. 

I love that you're already using sunscreen! Hooray for sunscreen! Many people overlook this product as an acne treatment. Definitely keep up that good habit, no matter which acne-fighting ingredient(s) you add to your routine. 🙂 

[20dermagirlll22]

I agree! you need some type of salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide ,and BHA's and retinol/retinoids as well. niacin amide is really good for antiflammatory properties of acne though so keep using that one I use it too 🙂